250 Muslim fighters killed in Mamasapano

MASS FOR JUSTICE Priests hold a Mass for the 44 police commandos killed in Maguindanao in front of Camp Crame. PHOTO BY MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

At least 250 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) may have been killed when they clashed with police commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, according to suspended Special Action Force (SAF) commander Chief Supt. Getulio Napeñas.

Napeñas on Monday told the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs that the MILF suffered heavy casualties during the firefight with the commandos last January 25, contrary to the rebel group’s claim that only 18 of its members were killed.

The suspended SAF chief said he based his estimate on information given to him by Supt. Raymond Train, the overall commander of the SAF assault force, who said he shot at least 30 attackers.

Supt. Christopher Lalan, the lone survivor of the 55th Company was quoted by Napeñas as saying that his group alone gunned down more than 100 members not only of the MILF and BIFF but also private armed groups that may have joined the fighting.

Train, also one of the Mamasapano survivors who was not from the 55th Company, said he also shot at least 25 Muslim rebels.

According to Napeñas, Train also said the entire assault force of close to 400 police commandos could have shot at least 150 of the separatists.

I think we need to believe Capt. Napenas. The best is to investigate and go back to the site an find out where the bodies of the MILF were buried. It is customary for the the muslims to bury their dead immediately.
We have to give credit to Napenas and his commandos for killing Marwan and a number of MILF. The death of 44 commandos was no different from the previous encounters with the rebels back in the 70s, 80s and 2007. We should not be quick in blaming the leader with intent of replacing him. The issue is plain and simple, there were deaths and the primary cause was the plan was not properly executed or the plan was less than adequate. The back stops at the leader of the commandos. The President has another 200,000 soldiers and 100million people to deal with. So stop blame game!

Where those 250 bodies, Napenas. The bodies of the 250 killed cannot easily be hidden in public. Perhaps, Napenas is hallucinating, or has temporarily lost memory because of trauma. (This can happen as in the case of a TV reporter, who said that the helicopter he was on was hit by the enemy. He is now apologizing for his lapse of memory.)